The Opelousas courier., 1887-03-05
Address to the AgricuEturists of
the State of Louisiana.

The Executive Committee of the Louisans
State Agricultural Society held "a session in
New Orleans on February 10, and passed the
! following resolution
| Resolved, That all papers in the State are
requested to publish the address prepared By
the Committee TO the agrculturists of the
] State
/ A convention of the farmers of the State OF
Louisiana met in January last in Baton Rouge
and formed a State Agricultural Society.
/ The executive committee of that society
met in the City of New Orleans upon the 18th
! instant and appointed the undersigned com,
mittee to issue an address to the people OF
the State, setting forth the objects of our or
ganization, and making all appeal for CO.
operation.
/ The object of the STATE Agricultural Society
is to foster and advance all agricultural inter
ests, including farming, gardening, stock
raising, dairies, fruit-growing, etc.
When we consider how depressed is the
situation OF the farmer at present, aud how
rich is our soil and favorable our climate, it
certainly seems that our condition is suscepti-
BILE of improvement. Where can this i'm
provement come from except from ourselves ?
We, therefore, appeal to you to unite in an
effort to improve, by organization, discussion
and study, the fortunes of our State. If by
eonfning ourselves to the staple crops of cot
ton, sugar and rice we have not achieved
prosperity, may not diversifieation of crops
and pursuits, or improved and intensive
methods of cultivation open to us great tu-
ture Nature has bountifully contributed a
fertile soil and climate where most of the
agricultural crops and grasses grow in perfec-
| tion, and it is certainly within the range OF
possibility to utilize them by intelligence,
new methods and the many Influences that
result from combined study and organization.
We, therefore, urge upon you in your re-
spective parishes to organize farmers clubs
and associations, as we believe that the meth
DDS that have proved SO successful in other
States will benefit us.
Remember that farmers associations
to their prosperity. Thus, the richest States
have the most OF these associations, and the
poorest have the least, and if they are benefi-
cont to prosperity, what u blessing may they
not become to our povertya
The plan of our State Agricultural Society
calls upon the people to organize locally, and
when organized these local organizations will
send delegates to State annual convention,
and thus home rule and local views and in
terests will attain the fullest development.
This is an earnest attempt to organize the
farmers of the State, and the opportunity is
now offered to you to consult and confer to-
gether, in order that independence and pros
perity may reyivify the State.
The next annual State convention of the
State Agricultural Society will meet in
Shreveport on the fourth Wednesday in jan
uary III 1888, aud we earnestly hope that
each parish in the State will be represented
there by delegates from agricultural associa-
tions organized within it's limits.
JAMES JEFFRIEs, Rapides
ii. g. STRISGFELLow, Red River;
WIN. ROBSON, Caddo;
JOHN A, WHITE, Sr., East Felieiana;
II. G. K EMPER, Avoyeiles;
w. c. STUBBs the A. & NJ. College;
J. l.. BRENT, Ascension;
Committee on Address.